Oak Ridge police chief catches alleged thieves

Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi happened to be in the right place at the right time Monday night and just happened to catch two men allegedly stealing a commercial-size air conditioner.

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By Donna Smith/Staff

Oakridger - Oak Ridge, TN

By Donna Smith/Staff

Posted Feb. 13, 2013 at 7:06 PM
Updated Feb 13, 2013 at 7:33 PM

By Donna Smith/Staff

Posted Feb. 13, 2013 at 7:06 PM
Updated Feb 13, 2013 at 7:33 PM

Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi happened to be in the right place at the right time Monday night and just happened to catch two men allegedly stealing a commercial-size air conditioner.

The police chief was on his way home shortly after 8:30 p.m. Monday after attending the City Council meeting.

“I heard a call from dispatch about suspicious people around the Paragon,” he said, referring to the former fitness center on Emory Valley Road. He said a second radio call said the people “may be taking something.”

“I was like 30 seconds away, just happened to be close,” the chief said. “I saw the van coming across the grass at me.”

The chief said he stopped the van, held the two suspects at gunpoint and waited on responding officers.

“When they arrived, I went home,” he said jokingly. “I didn't have to tackle anyone.”

Earlier this month, Akagi chased down a fleeing suspect and tackled him after a foot chase in the Scarboro neighborhood.

Officers Nathan Stinnett, Chris Carden, Chris Luethge and Trae Sweeten arrived at Paragon within seconds of the chief, he said.

Stinnett arrested 40-year-old Robert Glen Talley and 36-year-old David Edward Daniels, both of Marlow, charging them with theft, vandalism and possession of burglary tools.

Talley was additionally charged with driving on a suspended/revoked license and on warrants for failure to appear in court and violation of probation. Daniels was additionally charged with manufacture/deliver/sale/possess a controlled substance.

Both were taken to the Anderson County jail.

Stinnett reported the van’s hatch was still open when he arrived and he could see the HVAC unit. When he checked the unit, it appeared to have “been cut from the building.”

Reports said the van also contained burglary tools and both men reportedly admitted to stealing the unit. Reports said the unit is “a very large industrial piece of machinery” with an estimated value of $11,000.

Stinnett took them to the Oak Ridge Police Department for questioning, reports said. While inside the police Department, Daniels reportedly dropped two tablets out of his shirt. The pills were identified as acetaminophen and oxycodone hydrochloride. Reports also said Stinnett found several text messages on Daniels’ cell phone related to the buying and selling of illegal narcotics.

Talley has a history of theft arrests in Anderson County and was convicted of robbery in 2008 after robbing the KenJo Market in March 2007.